Did the Australian political class suddenly develop a smidgen of conscience, ……
How, then, to explain Albanese’s promised relaxation of the rules controlling New Zealand immigration? After all, Howard’s decisive victory in 2001 had convinced the Labor Party that taking anything other than a hard line on immigration policy was electoral suicide. Neither Kevin Rudd, nor Julia Gillard, both Labor prime-ministers, were willing to budge on the state of limbo into which the highly-restrictive 2001 SVCs had cast nearly half-a-million Kiwi ex-pats. What brought on Albanese’s Damascene conversion?
Could it be that Australia is simply hungry for New Zealand’s best and brightest? As in the rest of the West, shortages of highly-skilled labour are becoming critical in Australia. It is entirely possible that the harsh conditions imposed back in 2001 are making it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain the talented Kiwis they need?
Poaching our best and brightest may not, however, be the worst of it. New Zealand’s refusal to come to terms with the new Indo-Pacific geo-strategic environment is bothering people in Washington, London and Canberra. It’s even beginning to bother some people in Wellington
If you seek a conspiracy theory I direct you to the Daily Blog. If you crave a bit of colonial cringe and settler class doom, I suggest Kiwiblog.
A more parsimonious view is that simply a new Australian government has decided that there is no discernable political cost (and some potential political advantage) in doing the right thing. And since everyone likes to do the right thing – especially when the starts align to make it a win-win for everyone – the right thing has been done.
Much like our own Labour government, the Australian Labor government has made a choice regarding 'doing the right thing' and has ignored its own experts in this regard (WEAG report anyone?):
The Albanese government will not substantially lift jobseeker payments despite its own poverty experts calling for an increase to the “seriously inadequate” unemployment support.
On Tuesday the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and social services minister, Amanda Rishworth, released the report of the interim economic inclusion committee, which found that the dire level of jobseeker is acting as a barrier to entering the workforce as jobseekers don’t have enough to meet the “essentials of life”.
The pair promised some measures to address disadvantage in the May budget, including energy rebates, but Guardian Australia understands the government will not implement the central recommendation to substantially increase jobseeker.
One of the benefits of this new path to citizenship for NZers in Australia is they too will have access to the 'seriously inadequate' jobeseeker payment now.
A more parsimonious view is that simply a new Australian government has decided that there is no discernable political cost (and some potential political advantage) in doing the right thing. And since everyone likes to do the right thing – especially when the starts align to make it a win-win for everyone – the right thing has been done.
So then reinforcing Pat's query about whether 'the Australian political class suddenly develop a smidgen of conscience',
I cannot see any sort of 'conspiracy' in what Pat said and note that you have actually repeated her views on the conscience aspect with words such as 'right thing' and 'win-win' .
Conscience 'a person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behaviour.'
The Liberal Party knows there is a generation of Kiwis that they have oppressed – an exploited class of workers not getting welfare (and they expel them when they commit crime) who could not vote. How very USA (exploiting illegals unable to vote and other workers having limited access to the vote because they hold elections on a Tuesday) of them.
Knees and elbows is onto an electoral race winner. As they say in the USA, the Indian Red Sky has come – it’s time for utu at the polling booth.
There is no doubt that Australia's change-of-heart isn't totally altruistic but a change of policy has been on the cards since Albanese won the general election. Of course National assumes that NZ will be the worse off but their relentless negativity would demand that position.
Except it is far more than National that expect NZ to be worse off….but that should not be the basis of the decision in any case even though it is the likely outcome given the comparative strengths of the two economies…which only adds credibility to the speculation that the change of heart had little to do with natural justice.
Of course it did. Those oppressed by the former policy will be exacting natural justice when they vote for Labour and against the Liberal Party and its white Australia citizenship policy
And it speaks to his intent to honour the UN Rights of the Indigenous People, something Kiwis in Oz are likely to support.
Oz had no trouble attracting people to higher paid jobs as it was. And our best and brightest already had a path to citizenship in Oz if they wanted it – but they were not the ones who needed support between jobs.
And as yet there is no evidence of any connection to foreign and defence policy conditions.
PS Dan Tehan, one of the worst of their Liberal Party (supported Abbott) and thus their Immigration Spokesperson, says it means people who have been paying taxes for years will finally be able to get welfare support and he is not happy. The sort of person, who supports lower wage workers not getting welfare and not being able to vote, is an absolute bastard – but is amongst like in that misogynist racist caucus.
He is ex Foreign Affairs and Trade bureaucracy (they are well rid of him), and he sees no sign of any "grand deal to bring Enzed to some Aukus order".
Outside of a minimum wage hike, there are very few policy changes that can positively affect 350,000 New Zealanders overnight.
Full credit to the Hipkins government, and the Albanese government, plus all the advocates at the Oz-Kiwi Association, and everyone from within MFAT, DIA, and our Canberra Consular staff who got this citizenship pathway policy over the line…
Jan Rivers has a good article published in the NZ Herald today, updating the conversation around the Ministry of Health and the changes on their website regarding puberty blockers:
"Having last year removed advice that puberty blockers are a safe and reversible medicine, the Ministry of Health has said it will publish an evidence brief on the medicine in May."
A fantastic piece of work from Jan Rivers, who painstanly went through the data.
This really puts the onus on Health NZ to do an urgent and thorough review into their treatment protocal for gender dysphoric youths.
I know a number of the professional psychological associations push gender affirming care and silence any dissent of their members on this
It is also a major break through for people concerned about the medicalisation of children. We need to remember that these were the drugs Alan Turing was put on as alternative to going to jail for homosexuality.
I read an ironic comment yesterday, not able to find now, saying that the whole question of consent for children to transition seems a little askew in that they can consent to gender affirming chemicals and surgical mutilation before they are legally able to consent to sexual activity.
There is something really 'screwy' when it is looked at in this way.
Big shoutout to the legal and advocacy and comms teams at Forest & Bird for defeating the proposed coal mine at Te Kuha near Westport. What an amazing little legal team they have.
This was going to be a 150-hectare mine site bang in the middle of habitat for great spotted kiwi, South Island fernbird, geckos, and 17 plant species including native eyebright.
This case is a significant win for Forest & Bird as it marks its centennial.
Anyone wonders what your F&B subs go to, in part it's to win this kind of fight.
Why on earth does anybody think opening a coal mine is a good idea with the Climate Change issues now extant? It's as daft as opening a new international airport at Tarras.
The political right always think it is a good idea and their strongest argument is that why should we import coal when we have resources just ready for the taking? Of course that rather overlooks that it takes at least hundreds of millions of dollars to develop it in a world where coal may well be redundant in a decade or two and then the fabulous new mine will be closed – leaving ugly scars and destroyed ecosystems.
But hey! as long as you are making money now – who cares about the future? No doubt National and ACT will whinge about this decision, castigate the government for "abandoning the people of the West Coast" and show their lip service to reducing carbon emissions.
The comment section [230 comments at present] is a little disappointing, as it has too much of an echo chamber vibe. Still, it is nice to see that some people can still engage online without blowing a fuse and going all-dark upstairs.
Edit: Farrier’s piece can also be found in the TS Feeds [2 days ago]
I do not hold any sort of candle for VFF or their new radio station. Go for it. They have views. But several long bows have been drawn conflating VFF, their radio station, womens issues, the visit of KJM, left/ right framing. In fact for a balanced read on the issues I would class this as on a par with the regrettable
In fact with its new but underdeveloped theological, or perhaps spritual is a better word, slant, we were with Hoban, at least getting a new take in the NZ MSM..
These Webworm articles/comments follow the old paths of missing the point, not examining the political sides adequately, not treating the issues in a balanced way. I think if commentators started off with the aim of treating the issues fairly, which requires some research, and then putting their own points of view the articles would be more thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Anti vaxxers may not be anti trans they may be pro women's issues. Anti vaxxers actually may not be 'hive mind' on this issue or any other issues since their views on the vaccines, mandates, govt over reach, aligned.
And trying to connect an orange dot to a blue square is not usually a worthy framing unless it is used as part of strategic planning or to drive imagination in art work – mind mapping.
As a sometime $$$ supporter of David Farrier and moved by his work on Mr Organ, I have to say his/columnists grip on the Women's issue side of this has been disappointing.
One of the most balanced male comentators I have found in the UK is this person
Dennis Noel Kavanagh – this links to his twitter page
This links to a series of tweets about the Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society and the usual witch/'whipping boy' condemnation of Kathleen Stock before she speaks on campus.
Returning to the articles I note they have not read enough to know that the concern has started out from the right in the US and the left in the UK. To me this says more than anything that trying to put a left/ right framing on it is a little naive. Many women see it as an apolitical issue going to the heart of their experiences of mysogyny and sexism/patriarchy and will look at voting for the political party that best responds to their concern on this, as well as other concerns like climate change.
Comments with words like 'cis' make my eyes glaze over with 'capture, capture, capture, ding ding ding'
And with the greatest respect to the Women's Refuge in NZ
This is a concern as the presence of any men in a women's space should be enough to make most people pause. But there is another point that would probably affect more women, bearing in mind that some women are not live in but do participate in specialised counselling sessions for women who have experienced sexual violence.
A concerning point in Canada and UK, has been that women suffering from some of the worst trauma a woman can experience, have been required to attend counselling sessions taken by transwomen ie men. Some are not given the choice to have male or female counselling, so opt for no counselling.
Pl note I have followed to the letter the instructions i was given re linking to tweets. This is a multi tweet from Kavanagh and I am wondering if it works in this situation.
Refuges and rape crisis centres have been presented with the choice between admitting the men who are determined to shoehorn themselves into any and every women's' space and service, or losing their public funding. See the Sussex service above and the Vancouver women's centre as examples.
And Russel Hoban should recognise a cult when he sees one. The mantra of "Trans Women are Women" is nothing more than an expression of gnostic faith.
I wouldn't mind betting that the transpeople who have been using womens refuges in the past, pass pretty well.It's self ID that makes the difference.Meaning any man can call himself a woman and have access to womens spaces .Check out how well burly, unreconstructed ,penis having men who may or may not believe they are women are received.And if
All this nonsense about anti vaxxers also being anti trans is a disingenuous attempt at shutting down legitimate debate.
Research has shown that sexual and gender minorities, and especially people of color, are more vulnerable to becoming infected with the coronavirus and also more likely to have underlying conditions that could make them severely ill if they were to contract Covid-19. But many of the very people who are most at risk within these communities are also hesitant to take the vaccine, according to a recent study and interviews with health care workers as well as people of color who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.
Instead of feverishly searching the internet to find articles reinforcing our own beliefs, we could be establishing what we actually do agree on
Here's a start
As human beings , transpeople deserve the exact same human rights as everyone else
Believing that you are really of the opposite sex is a genuinely held belief for many people
Unfortunately, no matter how ardent the belief, how skilled the surgeon, how plentiful the cross hormones, it is not possible to change sex, only to mimic
I get the sense that if this author didn't have 'anti-vaxxers' as a conveniently proximate whipping boy, it would have been white supremacists, nazis or maybe medieval witch burners.
that link goes to a tweet, with a screenshot that is meant to support the assertion that levels of regret associated with transition are rare. When I go to the referenced article, I see that the screenshot shows half the relevant information. The other half says this,
The authors said the regret rate for patients in the last decade reviewed, from 2001 to 2010, may have increased over time. “The last period is still undecided since the median time lag until applying for a reversal was 8 years,” according to the study.
Far fewer adolescents received gender-affirming medical care prior to 2010. Also, the assessment phase for patients in the study was much longer than what Reuters found most youth gender clinics in the U.S. offer today. The gender-care specialists in Sweden did approximately one year of evaluation before recommending any treatment, according to the study.
I already knew that the time period as a limitation (the dates were in the screenshot), because I've been following the debate for a long time. The major rise in transition and thus detransition is since 2010. Either Donnell knows this and is intentionally misrepresenting, or he doesn't know (at a guess his bias stops him from reading he relevant analyses) and is speaking from relative ignorance.
Further, that section of the reuters piece starts with this,
No large-scale, long-term studies have tracked the incidence of detransition and regret among patients who received gender-affirming treatment as minors. Studies that are available yield a wide range of results for various definitions of detransition, regret or continuation of care. Due to their limitations, the studies lack definitive answers.
This is the article that the tweet uses that Donnell is relying on to support his assertions that "None of their arguments hold water. Multiple studies have shown low levels of regret associated with transition"
Weird.
I haven't read the whole reuters piece, so someone else can pull apart my argument, but I'm so sick of the inherent and unacknowledged bias from pieces like the webworm one. They start from an ideological position, make assertions based on that, and then find bits and pieces to support their narrative.
That's tedious, but what really fucks me off is that it majorly works against detrans people, who have been misled into lifelong iatrogenic illness and disability and who have no specialist care because so many people are in denial that there is a need. If the genderists were being honest and open, there would be as much a push for detrans health care as there is for transition and trans health care. But of course they can't do that because it breaks the mirror of their ideology.
I asked on twitter a while back why there is so much silence around detrans stories. Someone tweeted this article to me. It's a piece of misleading public health information that purports to be there to help detrans people but takes an ideological position against detransitioning.
The events of the past 2 months have made me decide not to vote for the Greens. This story is just further confirmation of how this party has declined.
It looks like a TOP party vote for me.
Thanks to Shanreagh and others for informing me on this issue.
Me too Ed. It will be interesting to see how the Greens perform amongst people aged 30+ this year compared with past elections. A lot of long term Green voters seem to be walking away at the moment. The question will be whether they can capture enough new voters to replace them.
Elizabeth Kerekere will scupper the Green Party.She really doesn’t have what it takes to bring a range of people onside.
She may well be on 4 at the moment, from Friday on, expect her position to slip down the list
Aside from her SM gaff, what action/profile could Kerekere claim to warrant a high list ranking?….it appears a case of someone who greatly over estimates their own ability.
assuming the people going to the media are genuine, then it looks like an attempt to get publicity about her behaviour so that members will drop her down the list.
it's not irreverent, it's gross. Very few people can make jokes about child sexual abuse work. Given the number of transitioning teen girls who've been sexually abused, it's way off.
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“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
Monday left me brokenTuesday, I was through with hopingWednesday, my empty arms were openThursday, waiting for love, waiting for loveThe end of another week that left many of us asking WTF? What on earth has NZ gotten itself into and how on earth could people have voluntarily signed up for ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.State of humanity, 20242024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?Full story Share ...
Determining the hardest sport in the world is a subjective matter, as the difficulty level can vary depending on individual abilities, physical attributes, and experience. However, based on various factors including physical demands, technical skills, mental fortitude, and overall accomplishment, here is an exploration of some of the most challenging ...
The allure of sport transcends age, culture, and geographical boundaries. It captivates hearts, ignites passions, and provides unparalleled entertainment. Behind the spectacle, however, lies a fascinating world of financial investment and expenditure. Among the vast array of competitive pursuits, one question looms large: which sport carries the hefty title of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
With our collective remembrance, and steadfast belief in our common humanity, we strengthen our hope and resolve to do what we can to foster dialogue and understanding, and to heal divisions in our pursuit of peace. ...
Principal reasons for the opposition is the loss of the public’s democratic right to have “a fair say” and the vital need for a government free from corruption, said Casey Cravens of Dunedin, president of the New Zealand Federation of Freshwater ...
Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
I’m on the wrong side of 40, I never pursued creative work and now my job is killing my soul. Help! Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,May I start with the least original conversation opener you’re likely to hear around the motu at the moment, particularly in Wellington: ...
“Never again - No AUKUS” was the message of the wreath laid at this morning’s national ANZAC Day commemorative service at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park this morning by the Stop AUKUS group. ...
Until this month, Auckland swimmer Hazel Ouwehand had never met a qualifying time in an Olympic event for a New Zealand team, even as a junior. Now she’s very likely off to the Paris Olympics after swimming well under the qualifying standard in the 100m butterfly twice – both in ...
While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
Australian and New Zealand volunteers fought together in the Waikato War, yet still its place in the Anzac tradition is unacknowledged by our defence forces or Returned Services Association.First published in 2018.When I was a boy cub I attended Anzac Day services in the South Auckland suburb of ...
A poem by Wellington writer Tayi Tibble.Hoki Mai She kisses him goodbye with her eyes still wet and alight from their last swim in the Awatere river. At the train station celebration, she leads the Kapa Haka but her voice keeps breaking under and over itself like waves. ...
A poem from Bill Manhire’s 2017 book of verse Some Things to Place in a Coffin.My World War I Poem Inside each trench, the sound of prayer. Inside each prayer, the sound of digging. Image courtesy of Auckland War Memorial Museum. ...
There are three books I have wolfed down in one sitting over the last two years. Colleen Maria Lenihan’s gorgeous and sad debut Kōhine, Noelle McCarthy’s memoir Grand about becoming her mother and then unbecoming her, and now Hine Toa, a staunch yet gentle self-portrait by living legend Ngāhuia te ...
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Asia Pacific Report Students and activist staff at Australia’s University of Sydney (USyd) have set up a Gaza solidarity encampment in support of Palestinians and similar student-led protests in the United States. The camp was pitched as mass graves, crippled hospitals, thousands of civilian deaths and the near-total destruction of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong Australian teddy bear bees are cute and fluffy, but get a look at that massive (unbarbed) stinger! James Dorey Photography Most of us have been stung by a bee and we ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Roberts, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities and Social Inquiry, University of Wollongong Aussie~mobs/FlickrVictor Farr, a private in the 1st Infantry Battalion, was among the first to land at Anzac Cove just before dawn on April 25 1915. Victor Farr ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gregory Moore I had the good fortune to care for the sugar gum at The University of Melbourne’s Burnley Gardens in Victoria where I worked for ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Ong ViforJ, ARC Future Fellow & Professor of Economics, Curtin University Just when we think the price of rentals could not get any worse, this week’s Rental Affordability Snapshot by Anglicare has revealed low-income Australians are facing a housing crisis like ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tracey Holmes, Professorial Fellow in Sport, University of Canberra When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cally Jetta, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead; College for First Nations, University of Southern Queensland Australian War MemorialAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and images of deceased people, as well as sensitive historical information ...
RNZ News Melissa Lee has been ousted from New Zealand’s coalition cabinet and stripped of the Media portfolio, and Penny Simmonds has lost the Disability Issues portfolio in a reshuffle. Climate Change and Revenue Minister Simon Watts will take Lee’s spot in cabinet. Simmonds was a minister outside of cabinet. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University laurello/Shutterstock Some reports and popular books, such as Bill Gammage’s Biggest Estate on Earth, have argued that extensive areas of Australia’s forests were kept open through frequent burning by ...
Analysis - Christopher Luxon framing the demotion of two ministers as the portfolios getting "too complex" is a charitable way of saying they weren't up to the job. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With Jim Chalmers’s third budget on May 14, Australians will be looking for some more cost-of-living relief – beyond the tax cuts – although they have been warned extra measures will be modest. As ...
Analysis: Melissa Lee has lost the media portfolio and her spot in Cabinet after multiple failed attempts to find solutions for a media industry in crisis. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister announced Lee would be losing her spot in Cabinet along with her media and communications ministerial portfolio. The job ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Wilmot, Senior Lecturer, Film, Deakin University Among the many Australian who served during the second world war, there is a small group of people whose stories remain largely untold. These are the Muslim men and women who, while small in number, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Saunders, PhD Candidate, University of Canberra There has been much analysis and praise of Justice Michael Lee’s recent judgement in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel Ten. Many people were openly relieved to read Lee’s “forensic” and “nuanced” application of law ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathy Gibbs, Program Director for the Bachelor of Education, Griffith University zEdward_Indy/Shutterstock Around one in 20 people has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It’s one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and often continues into adulthood. ADHD is diagnosed ...
The Fairer Future coalition of anti-poverty groups say Whaikaha must be properly funded going forward, and that to argue that poor financial management of the new Ministry is a red herring by the Prime Minister. ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is today congratulating Hon. Paul Goldsmith on his appointment as Minister for Media and Communications and urges him to rule out state intervention in the private media sector. ...
Asia Pacific Report The West Papuan resistance OPM leader has condemned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden, accusing their countries of “six decades of treachery” over Papuan independence. The open letter was released today by OPM chairman Jeffrey P Bomanak on the eve of ANZAC Day ...
Welcome to The Spinoff Books Confessional, in which we get to know the reading habits and quirks of New Zealanders at large. This week: writer and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2024, Lauren Groff.The book I wish I’d writtenIf I wish I’d written a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University mavo/Shutterstock Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that ...
“Three Strikes is a dead-end policy proposed by a dead-end government. The Three Strikes law ignores the causes of crime, instead just brutalising people already crushed by the cost of living.” ...
By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Australian-born judge in Kiribati could well face deportation later this week after a tribunal ruling that he should be removed from his post. The tribunal’s report has just been tabled in the Kiribati Parliament and is due to be debated by MPs ...
With its clear mandate for police use, political nuances, and nuanced public trust, Denmark's insights provide valuable considerations for Australia and New Zealand. ...
Books editor Claire Mabey reviews poet Louise Wallace’s debut novel. A famous poet once said to me that he’s always suspicious when a poet publishes a novel. I never really understood why but maybe it’s something to do with cheating on your first form. Louise Wallace is a poet. She’s ...
For a few months at the turn of the millennium, TrueBliss burned bright as the biggest pop stars in the country. Alex Casey chats to two superfans who still hold the flame. During a humble backyard wedding in Nelson, 1999, one of the cordially invited guests had to excuse themselves ...
How will the recent wave of job cuts impact ethnic diversity in the media? In November last year, I was working a very busy day in the newsroom of a large online news site, interviewing whānau about their concerns over the imminent closure of one of the few puna reo ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth Knight, Researcher, Queensland University of Technology Have you ever felt sick at work? Perhaps you had food poisoning or the flu. Your belly hurt, or you felt tired, making it hard to concentrate and be productive. How likely would you be ...
Despite heavy criticism and an ongoing select committee process, the Police Minister says the Government will forge ahead with a ban on gang patches. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
A new survey says ‘outlook not great’ for those charged with building infrastructure, while RMA changes delight farmers and depress environmentalists, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. First RMA changes announced ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
Did the Australian political class suddenly develop a smidgen of conscience, ……
https://www.interest.co.nz/public-policy/120898/smoothed-path-kiwis-seeking-aussie-citizenship-quid-pro-quo-new-zealand
Or perhaps there is an another explanation as yet unexplored?
[Changed formatting of long piece (3 paragraphs) of text to blockquote for clarity – Incognito]
If you seek a conspiracy theory I direct you to the Daily Blog. If you crave a bit of colonial cringe and settler class doom, I suggest Kiwiblog.
A more parsimonious view is that simply a new Australian government has decided that there is no discernable political cost (and some potential political advantage) in doing the right thing. And since everyone likes to do the right thing – especially when the starts align to make it a win-win for everyone – the right thing has been done.
Much like our own Labour government, the Australian Labor government has made a choice regarding 'doing the right thing' and has ignored its own experts in this regard (WEAG report anyone?):
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/18/government-will-not-lift-seriously-inadequate-jobseeker-rate-despite-calls-from-its-own-experts
One of the benefits of this new path to citizenship for NZers in Australia is they too will have access to the 'seriously inadequate' jobeseeker payment now.
You suggestions have been noted….and may I suggest you invest in a thesaurus.
So then reinforcing Pat's query about whether 'the Australian political class suddenly develop a smidgen of conscience',
I cannot see any sort of 'conspiracy' in what Pat said and note that you have actually repeated her views on the conscience aspect with words such as 'right thing' and 'win-win' .
Conscience 'a person's moral sense of right and wrong, viewed as acting as a guide to one's behaviour.'
The Liberal Party knows there is a generation of Kiwis that they have oppressed – an exploited class of workers not getting welfare (and they expel them when they commit crime) who could not vote. How very USA (exploiting illegals unable to vote and other workers having limited access to the vote because they hold elections on a Tuesday) of them.
Knees and elbows is onto an electoral race winner. As they say in the USA, the Indian Red Sky has come – it’s time for utu at the polling booth.
There is no doubt that Australia's change-of-heart isn't totally altruistic but a change of policy has been on the cards since Albanese won the general election. Of course National assumes that NZ will be the worse off but their relentless negativity would demand that position.
Except it is far more than National that expect NZ to be worse off….but that should not be the basis of the decision in any case even though it is the likely outcome given the comparative strengths of the two economies…which only adds credibility to the speculation that the change of heart had little to do with natural justice.
As some are wont to ask…cui bono?
Of course it did. Those oppressed by the former policy will be exacting natural justice when they vote for Labour and against the Liberal Party and its white Australia citizenship policy
And it speaks to his intent to honour the UN Rights of the Indigenous People, something Kiwis in Oz are likely to support.
That article was risibly poor.
Oz had no trouble attracting people to higher paid jobs as it was. And our best and brightest already had a path to citizenship in Oz if they wanted it – but they were not the ones who needed support between jobs.
And as yet there is no evidence of any connection to foreign and defence policy conditions.
PS Dan Tehan, one of the worst of their Liberal Party (supported Abbott) and thus their Immigration Spokesperson, says it means people who have been paying taxes for years will finally be able to get welfare support and he is not happy. The sort of person, who supports lower wage workers not getting welfare and not being able to vote, is an absolute bastard – but is amongst like in that misogynist racist caucus.
He is ex Foreign Affairs and Trade bureaucracy (they are well rid of him), and he sees no sign of any "grand deal to bring Enzed to some Aukus order".
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/04/24/aus-mp-says-kiwis-may-use-citizenship-rights-just-to-get-the-dole/
Outside of a minimum wage hike, there are very few policy changes that can positively affect 350,000 New Zealanders overnight.
Full credit to the Hipkins government, and the Albanese government, plus all the advocates at the Oz-Kiwi Association, and everyone from within MFAT, DIA, and our Canberra Consular staff who got this citizenship pathway policy over the line…
… in time for ANZAC Day tomorrow morning.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/04/23/analysis-citizenship-rights-for-kiwis-in-aus-will-benefit-kiwis-at-home/
Jan Rivers has a good article published in the NZ Herald today, updating the conversation around the Ministry of Health and the changes on their website regarding puberty blockers:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jan-rivers-questions-mount-around-the-use-of-puberty-blockers-for-children/JVKMNIUYUVBXDPCFPYSNZ34RWE/
It has been paywalled, but there is an archive copy here:
https://archive.ph/i9Uo0
Link to Pharmac sheet for those interested:
https://pharmac.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/2020-Goserelin-Brochure-for-Prostate-Cancer.pdf
Advice re children is under – WHEN YOU MUST NOT USE IT for both dosages.
Snap, Molly. Posted at the same time.
However, your comment is much better, so have deleted mine!
A fantastic piece of work from Jan Rivers, who painstanly went through the data.
This really puts the onus on Health NZ to do an urgent and thorough review into their treatment protocal for gender dysphoric youths.
I know a number of the professional psychological associations push gender affirming care and silence any dissent of their members on this
It is also a major break through for people concerned about the medicalisation of children. We need to remember that these were the drugs Alan Turing was put on as alternative to going to jail for homosexuality.
I read an ironic comment yesterday, not able to find now, saying that the whole question of consent for children to transition seems a little askew in that they can consent to gender affirming chemicals and surgical mutilation before they are legally able to consent to sexual activity.
There is something really 'screwy' when it is looked at in this way.
Yes excellent article/research by Jan Rivers.
Lovely example of a community garden – marae and community based.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/celebrating-10-years-of-growing-delicious-food/BHTWBPNRDZB7FHMY2FHK5VLCSQ/
Heartwarming story (- but strange photo – decapitates the subject).
So, I searched and found this 2022 article from last year, with a good video showing Aunty Hanui Lawrence herself, the garden and the wider impacts:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/local-focus-aunty-hanui-is-hastings-garden-queen/DX6ZS772CZXAS24KC2NIEP6DKU/
Unfortunately, there is no succession plan in place. She seems pragmatic about that.
Big shoutout to the legal and advocacy and comms teams at Forest & Bird for defeating the proposed coal mine at Te Kuha near Westport. What an amazing little legal team they have.
This was going to be a 150-hectare mine site bang in the middle of habitat for great spotted kiwi, South Island fernbird, geckos, and 17 plant species including native eyebright.
This case is a significant win for Forest & Bird as it marks its centennial.
Anyone wonders what your F&B subs go to, in part it's to win this kind of fight.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2304/S00120/pivotal-court-win-against-coal.htm
At some point Westport's local council will realise that you can make a whole lot more out of tourism local and foreign than you can exporting coal.
Great pic.
Why on earth does anybody think opening a coal mine is a good idea with the Climate Change issues now extant? It's as daft as opening a new international airport at Tarras.
The political right always think it is a good idea and their strongest argument is that why should we import coal when we have resources just ready for the taking? Of course that rather overlooks that it takes at least hundreds of millions of dollars to develop it in a world where coal may well be redundant in a decade or two and then the fabulous new mine will be closed – leaving ugly scars and destroyed ecosystems.
But hey! as long as you are making money now – who cares about the future? No doubt National and ACT will whinge about this decision, castigate the government for "abandoning the people of the West Coast" and show their lip service to reducing carbon emissions.
Incredible.
When you connect a whole lot of dots you sometimes get one big amorphous blob and sometimes you get a picture – it does depend on perspective.
Some people prefer the blob to the picture – it is subjective.
Debate aims to discuss the finer and coarse points and find agreement on what’s being observed rather than on the level of like/dislike.
David Farrier does connect dots for a living and you can read up on one of his latest results here:
https://www.webworm.co/p/screaminghysterically
The comment section [230 comments at present] is a little disappointing, as it has too much of an echo chamber vibe. Still, it is nice to see that some people can still engage online without blowing a fuse and going all-dark upstairs.
Edit: Farrier’s piece can also be found in the TS Feeds [2 days ago]
Slick nonsense framing.
I do not hold any sort of candle for VFF or their new radio station. Go for it. They have views. But several long bows have been drawn conflating VFF, their radio station, womens issues, the visit of KJM, left/ right framing. In fact for a balanced read on the issues I would class this as on a par with the regrettable
Russell Hoban article
https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/131801818/whats-up-with-the-obsession-over-other-peoples-gender-identity
In fact with its new but underdeveloped theological, or perhaps spritual is a better word, slant, we were with Hoban, at least getting a new take in the NZ MSM..
These Webworm articles/comments follow the old paths of missing the point, not examining the political sides adequately, not treating the issues in a balanced way. I think if commentators started off with the aim of treating the issues fairly, which requires some research, and then putting their own points of view the articles would be more thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Anti vaxxers may not be anti trans they may be pro women's issues. Anti vaxxers actually may not be 'hive mind' on this issue or any other issues since their views on the vaccines, mandates, govt over reach, aligned.
And trying to connect an orange dot to a blue square is not usually a worthy framing unless it is used as part of strategic planning or to drive imagination in art work – mind mapping.
As a sometime $$$ supporter of David Farrier and moved by his work on Mr Organ, I have to say his/columnists grip on the Women's issue side of this has been disappointing.
One of the most balanced male comentators I have found in the UK is this person
Returning to the articles I note they have not read enough to know that the concern has started out from the right in the US and the left in the UK. To me this says more than anything that trying to put a left/ right framing on it is a little naive. Many women see it as an apolitical issue going to the heart of their experiences of mysogyny and sexism/patriarchy and will look at voting for the political party that best responds to their concern on this, as well as other concerns like climate change.
Comments with words like 'cis' make my eyes glaze over with 'capture, capture, capture, ding ding ding'
And with the greatest respect to the Women's Refuge in NZ
This is a concern as the presence of any men in a women's space should be enough to make most people pause. But there is another point that would probably affect more women, bearing in mind that some women are not live in but do participate in specialised counselling sessions for women who have experienced sexual violence.
A concerning point in Canada and UK, has been that women suffering from some of the worst trauma a woman can experience, have been required to attend counselling sessions taken by transwomen ie men. Some are not given the choice to have male or female counselling, so opt for no counselling.
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2022/05/05/brighton-rape-crisis-centre-sued-over-refusal-to-offer-female-only-groups/
https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/help-sarahs-legal-challenge/
Pl note I have followed to the letter the instructions i was given re linking to tweets. This is a multi tweet from Kavanagh and I am wondering if it works in this situation.
Refuges and rape crisis centres have been presented with the choice between admitting the men who are determined to shoehorn themselves into any and every women's' space and service, or losing their public funding. See the Sussex service above and the Vancouver women's centre as examples.
And Russel Hoban should recognise a cult when he sees one. The mantra of "Trans Women are Women" is nothing more than an expression of gnostic faith.
I wouldn't mind betting that the transpeople who have been using womens refuges in the past, pass pretty well.It's self ID that makes the difference.Meaning any man can call himself a woman and have access to womens spaces .Check out how well burly, unreconstructed ,penis having men who may or may not believe they are women are received.And if
All this nonsense about anti vaxxers also being anti trans is a disingenuous attempt at shutting down legitimate debate.
I get the sense that if this author didn't have 'anti-vaxxers' as a conveniently proximate whipping boy, it would have been white supremacists, nazis or maybe medieval witch burners.
Yes…..gee I wish I had thought of that phrase myself, love it.
Hayden Donnell seems a bit obsessed about genitals himself tbh. I scrolled through all the rhetoric to find something concrete and came to this,
that link goes to a tweet, with a screenshot that is meant to support the assertion that levels of regret associated with transition are rare. When I go to the referenced article, I see that the screenshot shows half the relevant information. The other half says this,
here's the article being cherry picked. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-outcomes/
I already knew that the time period as a limitation (the dates were in the screenshot), because I've been following the debate for a long time. The major rise in transition and thus detransition is since 2010. Either Donnell knows this and is intentionally misrepresenting, or he doesn't know (at a guess his bias stops him from reading he relevant analyses) and is speaking from relative ignorance.
Further, that section of the reuters piece starts with this,
This is the article that the tweet uses that Donnell is relying on to support his assertions that "None of their arguments hold water. Multiple studies have shown low levels of regret associated with transition"
Weird.
I haven't read the whole reuters piece, so someone else can pull apart my argument, but I'm so sick of the inherent and unacknowledged bias from pieces like the webworm one. They start from an ideological position, make assertions based on that, and then find bits and pieces to support their narrative.
That's tedious, but what really fucks me off is that it majorly works against detrans people, who have been misled into lifelong iatrogenic illness and disability and who have no specialist care because so many people are in denial that there is a need. If the genderists were being honest and open, there would be as much a push for detrans health care as there is for transition and trans health care. But of course they can't do that because it breaks the mirror of their ideology.
I asked on twitter a while back why there is so much silence around detrans stories. Someone tweeted this article to me. It's a piece of misleading public health information that purports to be there to help detrans people but takes an ideological position against detransitioning.
https://genderminorities.com/2021/03/28/detransition-support/
These allys don't really care about tran people. They throw de transitioners under the bus using denial, minimisation and ostricisattion.
"Trans women are women" is nothing more than gas lighting
They are having trouble gaslighting the UK Women's Institute,
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-11987807/Strong-women-raison-detre-Womens-Institute.html?fbclid=IwAR2gMBENI6xmg_nKe0oTMMnaVOForSAwF65weg6U-t3MPlj5rV6cZJ1sMLA
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131840291/mori-rainbow-greens-say-elizabeth-kerekere-bullying-claim-is-dirty-politics
Murkier and murkier, not a great look six months out from the election
The events of the past 2 months have made me decide not to vote for the Greens. This story is just further confirmation of how this party has declined.
It looks like a TOP party vote for me.
Thanks to Shanreagh and others for informing me on this issue.
Me too Ed. It will be interesting to see how the Greens perform amongst people aged 30+ this year compared with past elections. A lot of long term Green voters seem to be walking away at the moment. The question will be whether they can capture enough new voters to replace them.
"The question will be whether they can capture enough new voters to replace them."
Indeed….it may be a possibility but I suspect a rebranding would be required to reap such a benefit…one that abandons the environment entirely.
Leaks to media continuing to come from both 'sides' of the GP over Kerekere.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/488574/more-green-members-criticise-kerekere-say-bullying-targeted-maori-pasifika
Elizabeth Kerekere will scupper the Green Party.She really doesn’t have what it takes to bring a range of people onside.
She may well be on 4 at the moment, from Friday on, expect her position to slip down the list
Is that the one they call the Rainbow Parakeet ?
Aside from her SM gaff, what action/profile could Kerekere claim to warrant a high list ranking?….it appears a case of someone who greatly over estimates their own ability.
her high list ranking is a mystery to me. I wonder if it's to do with the number Māori MPs that have to be in the top five or something.
Weka can you please check you messages
assuming the people going to the media are genuine, then it looks like an attempt to get publicity about her behaviour so that members will drop her down the list.
A cult ate my party
Distressing to see
The cult leader's name?
Dr Kerekere.
A cult ate my party
It started so well
We said to the gay folks
"You're NOT going to hell!"
"To hell with this nonsense!"
"This vile travesty!"
"We're going to get rid"
"of all prayer therapy!"
"What's wrong with the gay kids?"
"Nothing at all."
But then, 'cross the ocean
Came a fateful, bad call.
A shiny new theory
of identity
imported wholesale
from the land of the Free.
A theory of women
and LGBT
it's not about bodies
Or reality
Woman, you see
Is not flesh and bone
It's just an idea!
A skill you can hone!
A costume! A play!
A set of high heels!
Not real female bodies..
Just male thoughts and feels!
Of course, with this theory
Victims abounded
Women were shut up
Dissidents hounded
But the saddest thing, surely
for the kids LGB:
We stopped telling them
that they're perfect and free.
Instead we say "fix them!"
"Do surgery!"
"Pass me the hormones!"
"Stop puberty!"
Disagree? You're a fascist.
Questions? You troll!
Critical thinking
Is not how we roll.
So while we all talk
of the male right to be
In any place where
they just ought not to be
our planet is burning
our oceans are acid
our kids losing hope
because we're so placid.
A cult ate my party
Don't want to be mean
But cults are not nice
It's not Rainbow, not Green
Bravo.
Great poem, sad reality.
thanks yeah great poem.
it's not irreverent, it's gross. Very few people can make jokes about child sexual abuse work. Given the number of transitioning teen girls who've been sexually abused, it's way off.
Can you delete my comment a 9 please
I agree